The Journey to self improvement

Sunday, November 8, 2015

I've been doing alot of thinking because I've been reading up on and looking at more self help videos for about month now. One of the things that really stuck out like a sore thumb was to look back and think about the good things that are good about your life and try to remember how you got there.

One thing is obviously how I lost the weight. Looking back I had to change my negative thinking into positive thinking and this was hard to do. As I mentioned in my first blog it all started to turn around in 2004 when I quit smoking. I listened to alot of self-help audio books to help boost my confidence as well.

A few things I did not mention was that I hated my life and always turned positive things into negative things which isolated me from the real world. This led to smoking weed, heavy drinking, and hating myself for being overweight. I was a creepy quiet guy for most of my life and felt like close friends were distancing themselves from me because of it. I worked at a Kmart from age 16 into my 20s and CoWorkers would keep their distance. One thing I do remember was that a very beautiful CoWorker came up to me and told me "You should smile more cuz you look cute when you smile" I smiled whenever I ran into her because of it but didn't really take her advise. I still remember that til this day and feel that it did help me later in life because nowadays I smile whenever I make eye contact with people I know and even people I don't know.

I feel that things started to turn around for me when I stopped complaining about how shitty my life was. The tables started turning when I quit smoking cigarettes because that was hard to do. I don't recall what was going through my mind back then but I'm pretty sure completing such a hard task gave a sense of fulfillment. I was like WOW!!! I never thought I would be able to actually do this. Plus the praise I received from my family and friends gave me an even bigger boost.

As mentioned I did gain alot of weight but that didn't side track me I went to the track and lost most of the weight. From then on everything started to fall into place. I got a decent job the following year and started talking more to fellow CoWorkers, friends, and people around me. The restless sleepless nights had stopped to a halt. I started drinking less and life was starting to look alot brighter. I became more approachable when I started filling my mind with positive thoughts.

So I truly believe that positive thinking helps with all aspects of life. There is still alot of room for improvement. I realize that I still need to find better ways to be financially secure which right now is okay but that can change in a blink of an eye with the job market the way it is and with things becoming more and more expensive. I must admit I was derailed a little and had some slip ups nothing major but still.

In this past month I started taking Muay Thai Kick Boxing classes which was recommended to me by kind hearted person. I only go twice a week because of my work schedule but it is still helping me get back into the exercising routine.

So what I recommend to get started is to do something you thought you could never do. Mine was to quit smoking but if you don't smoke. You can maybe stop eating sugar, quit drinking coffee, alcohol, drugs, or stop eating fast food. Something that will kick start your journey with a bang.

Friday, June 19, 2015

It's been a while since I've written about anything and to be quite honest I haven't made any progress. I will not sit here and make excuses. I'm just lucky I haven't gained any of the weight back, but as far as weight I think I have that under control

As far exercise goes I've just been walking during my breaks and lunches during work and on occasion ride my bike through my neighborhood streets or the nearby Whittier Greenway Trail. On occasion I'll do squats, and Isometrics on my long commute to work.

Eating habits are still in place but sometimes on Friday mornings I reward myself with a Dr Pepper and a Snickers for sticking to my guns. I eat out once a week mostly on the weekends and sometimes twice a week if there happens to be a happy hour gathering with fellow coworkers but don't drink alot maybe 2 or 3 beers. I've gotten to a point where I can control myself and stick to my daily regimen of eating a tablespoon of lard, a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, and a tablespoon of Raw Butter in the morning then again at night before heading off to bed. You can see the blog post including the video of my ritual here. When I eat out I mostly go to buffets and places where they serve Broths. Mainly Buffets that have ribs and porkchops because I love me some ribs and porkchops.

I've had problems with Acne everynow and then I break out with zits along the jaw and chin areas. It could be due to stress I'm not sure. Defense soap has worked wonders for me but I had to stop using it because it started irritating my skin by making it excessively dry and flaky. The website suggests using the liquid base version of the soap which I may try sooner or later to alleviate this problem.

Summertime is here and I was hoping to see some improvement but I became a lazy whore and slowed down on the exercise. I did start working out more in the past 2 weeks and am hoping to be more persistant.

In the near future I will have more blogs I promise and probably share my thoughts with you here.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Another supplement I started taking in my weightloss journey was Kelp. The reason I started taking Kelp was because I believed I had a thyroid problem. Although I was never diagnosed with any thyroid issues I had some of the symptoms such as fatigue, depression, weight gain, trouble concentrating, and bodily aches.

I started taking Kelp in February of 2013 and started out taking 2 capsule when I woke up and 2 before I went to bed. I began getting my energy back, started losing weight, and woke up feeling fully rested on days I slept well. After about a month I started taking 1 in the morning and 1 at night.

The brand I buy is Nature's Way which cost $7.99 at my local Sprouts Farmer's Market here in Whittier, CA. It contains 100 capsules and the recommended dosage is 1 per day but I exceeded that by choice. It's 600mg and ingredients are Iodine 360 microgams, sodium 35mg, and gelatin (the capsule). Although it does not say this on the Nature's way bottle. Kelp is a great source of Calcium, Magnesium, potassium, and Iron

The Benefits of Kelp

Kelp is a seaweed and is a natural source of Iodine. Iodine calms the body and relieves nervousness which can help improve your sleep. Iodine is known to have beneficial effects on the heart and circulatory system as well. Iodine is good for your thyroid which helps regulate your digestive system.

Side Effects

I have read and seen videos that taking too much Kelp can actually be bad for your thyroid. Also it should not be taken if you have high blood pressure. Kelp should not be taken with any other Iodine medication and if you are pregnant or taking other medications you should consult a healthcare physician.

As I mentioned previously before I do not claim to be a professional nutritionist or a health expert. I'm just showing what has and continues to work for me in the hopes that it will help others out here who have struggled with weight loss or maintaining weight. There is plenty of articles online as well you tube videos you can view so I recommend you do more research before diving in.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Triphala is the first Ayurvedic herbal remedy I tried back in 2013 when I started on the Biggest loser contest we had at work. It works like a laxative but without all the diarrhea. The word Triphala is a Sanskrit word translates to 3 fruits: Myrobalan, Amla, and Belleric Myrobalan

Benefits

Improves digestion

Cleans the colon

Flushes toxins from your body

Protects the eyes

Protects the heart

Protects the skin

Keeps the liver functioning strong

The Brand I buy is Himalaya which comes in 60 capsules. I buy it in Little India for $4.99 which is pretty cheap. I have seen it in whole food markets for 17.99 but you can probably find it on Amazon for cheaper than that.

I use Triphala for it's digestive benefits and as an antioxidant. one of the fruits in it : Amla, a.k.a. Indian Gooseberry has the highest Vitamin C content of nay fruit. Triphala is a superb overall health supplement and it's definitely a good weapon to have in your arsenal in your pursuit of weight loss or if even if your trying to keep the weight off.

There is no known side effects if used properly. I have read that some people experience headaches, Nausea, gas, or an upset stomach if taking too much. I have not experienced any such side effects

As always I recommend that everyone do their research before diving in if you are unsure or have health problems. There is plenty of articles online as well as you tube videos that you can view as well so you can judhe for yourself.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

The new year is here and New Years resolutions are in effect and in some cases already have started to fade away. In the next few blogs I'm gonna cover supplements that I've taken through out the last years that have helped me lose weight and also have helped me keep it off.

The first is one of my all time favorites; an ayurvedic supplement which is called Liv.52. Liv.52 is great liver tonic as it boost enzyme production. I use Liv.52 mainly for detoxification purposes, improve digestion, and to protect my liver from the by chemicals of alcohol consumption and the junk additives they put in all foods these days. This product has a TON of benefits!

Ingredients

Caper bush

Chicory

Black nightshade

Arjuna

Cassia occidentalis

Yarrow

Tamarisk

The Benefits of Liv.52

Liv.52 Neutralizes toxins and poisons that are found in food, water, medications, and in the air we breathe.

Here in the United states Liv. 52 is marketed as Liver Care and is more expensive. I usually buy liv.52 in Little India for 4.99 per bottle with 100 tablets.

Recommended dosage

For children 1 to 2 tablets 3 times daily

For Adults 2 to tablets 3 times daily

I started off taking 3 tablets in the day and 3 at night but now I take 3 a day

I recommend that everyone do their research before diving in if you are unsure or have health problems. Wether it be on youtube, or searching on Google and judge for yourself. There is no known side effects

Other ayurvedic supplements I buy from Little India are Triphala, Bacopa, Ashwagandha, and Mucuna which I will cover in the weeks to come.

Monday, December 22, 2014

For many years I've had problems with acne, and have tried everything like Clearasil, anti-bacterial soap, Neutragena, Stridex pads, Noxema, and other anti-acne products. Although some of these products did reduce or even eliminate the acne completely, it would always in turn come back stronger and more resistant making it much harder to get rid of. Fast forward to 2013 when I started eating whole foods and consuming coconut oil my skin started clearing up and eventually cleared up completely.

However, early this year acne started coming back under my chin and around the jaw line. Some of it was cystic acne. It also started appearing on the back of my head leaving me with bald patches. I was able to get rid of the bald patches by using medicated shampoo but this did not prevent the cystic acne from returning.

I found out about defense soap watching one of Joe Rogan's podcasts. He stated that alot of MMA fighters use it to prevent ringworm and that it smells great. So I googled it, read reviews on it, and saw a youtube video that praised it. So I bought myself a 5 pack off their Amazon page and it came the very next day.

The makers of Defense Soap do not specifically state on their website that it is an anti-acne product but site product reviews mention that it does help with acne problems. Also I've read elsewhere that Tea Tree Oil’s natural anti-bacteria properties have long been used to naturally treat acne and other skin conditions

So far after using this product the acne is starting to go away and it also helped with my athletes foot problem. This soap is also supposed to prevent and eliminate ring worms, herpes, staph infections, MRSA, Athletes foot, and jock itch.

Below are before and after pictures. I have been using this soap for a month and so far it's been working. Acne is not complete gone but almost.

Monday, December 15, 2014

One of the things I did to lose and maintain my weight as shown in the video above was to take a tablespoon each of Extra Virgin Coconut oil, lard, and Raw Butter. I do this twice a day, once in the morning and then once before I go to bed. I know this sounds crazy but this really worked for me. I started consuming these products back in March of 2013 but did not become a daily ritual till the middle of 2013. Since then, I have not looked back. The reason for this blog entry is to let people know how it has helped me and why I feel it will help others out there.

The reason this works so well is because you are giving your body what it needs. All 3 of these products contain healthy saturated fat. The more real fat you give your body the easier it is to burn it off. Your body will no longer feel the need to conserve fat it since it's getting more than enough of what it needs.

So all that stuff you hear about low fat or non fat foods will actually make your body conserve the fat which in return makes it harder to burn off any excess weight. In this blog I will explain why Extra Virgin Coconut oil, Lard, and Butter are good for you.

The Benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a healthy medium chained fatty acid which will increase your energy, help boost your metabolism, and has been known to kill sugar cravings. It is a great weapon in your ongoing battle with weight gain. It helps with digestion and also helps build up your body's immune system.

You can cook with it as opposed to cooking with Vegetable oils which contain deadly Trans fat (avoid trans fat!) You can put it in your coffee or tea instead of sugar as well as your favorite blended shake.

The brand I use is Natures Way Extra Virgin Coconut oil so beware of brands that actually process the oil. Make sure it says Virgin or Extra Virgin and look for reviews online if you're unsure.

Coconut oil is one of those products that is good for a lot of things (not just for weight loss) like Hair growth, and skin care, the brand I usually buy is Natures Way Extra Virgin Coconut oil.

The Benefits of Lard

Lard has been given a bad rap because of it's high fat content by many people out there myself included prior to 2013. Lard has the most fat out of all 3 products mentioned in this blog entry. Many people that I know think I'm crazy for eating lard straight out of the bucket as shown in the video. It has but a slightest porky taste which is what adds a lot of flavor when cooking. When consuming it straight out of the bucket it immediately melts in your mouth and goes down easily.

Like Coconut oil Lard contains saturated fats. Lard is hard to find but you can render your own or buy it from your local meat market. I buy mine from Northgate Market here in Southern California. It's a Mexican market and it's labelled as Pork Lard/Manteca.

Cooking with Lard really is the best! Another thing I like to do is grab a tablespoon full of lard and put it in my Broth like Chicken Soup, Menudo, Posole, or Beef stew. It gives your broth a thicker richer flavor. Try it out and let me know what you think.

The Benefits of Butter

Butter is loaded with vitamins like A, D, E, and K. Buter is also loaded with good cholesterol which is vital for brain and Nervous system function. Butter also has iodine which helps your thyroid. I usually use Organic Pastures Raw butter which contains no salt. I buy it at Sprouts Farmers Market but I aslo consume Kerry Gold Irish buter which does contain salt when I can't find Raw butter.
My experience with this daily ritual has had very positive effects. From time to time I do drink the occasional soda or eat cake loaded with sugar and this has helped me stay in control. In the past I have tried taking weightloss pills that supress hunger and drinking lots of water and it did not work. Most likely due to the fact that in my head I still craved soda, snacks, and fast food despite feeling stuffed. All 3 products combined has killed the cravings for snacks in between meals.

Prior to do doing this I would eat snacks all day long while at work then at home while watching TV or surfing the net. With other diets that I've tried in the past snacks were the hardest to put down. With these 3 products in my arsenal it has made it alot easier to let go.

In the old days people cooked their food with lard and butter not knowing what we know today. Today we are told that lard and butter are bad for us because of their saturated fat and cholesterol content.

As I mentioned before I do not claim to be a professional nutritionist or a health expert. I'm just showing what has and continues to work for me in the hopes that it will help others out here who have struggled with weight loss. There is plenty of articles online and also you tube videos you can look up on these 3 products so I recommend you do more research before diving in and judge for yourself.